Airtran Pilots

[Hose A. Jiminez]

I have never been cocky. Mostly what I have done is created legitimate analogies with hypothetical reverse situations, and queried as to whether or not AT guys thought that "relative" was still reasonable with tables reversed. Queries met with silence or BS spin.

You continually ask why SWA guys get so "spooled up" about this issue. Its because we have a vested interest in the outcome. So do they AirTran guys so there concern is also understood.

What is particularly vexing is why you seem to be so interested. You're just irritating that's all. Pretty much everyone feels that way, no matter who they fly for.

 

[Ty Webb]

Hose, the reason one responded to your "scenarios" was because they were irrelevant, kind of like asking if Ditka could win the Indy 500 driving a yellow school bus.

 

[Ty Webb]

Somebody knows something cause you've sure clammed up lately.

Gup

No, Gup, the reason I have been posting less is because I play defense. If no one posts anything offensive, there's no reason to field a defense.

 

[johnsonrod]

Ty, This is repeated just for you. Because you seem to be naive of your situation.


What is just plane disappointing is the ungrateful appearance that most AT pilots have on this board. The SWA pilots before you worked very, very hard to get we are today. The largest reason for SWA's success is on the backs of its employees. Our productivity is second to none in the industry. And that productivity is the hard work we have done both on the line, and off.

No matter where seniority may end up, most all the AT pilots are thrilled about this acquisition. And most all the SWA pilots are not. That should tell you the entire story. SWA is acquiring AT for no more than 300 million out of the bank account. That is a fact. The value of this transaction is not what most of the AT pilots on this board are trying to sell the SWA pilots. If it cost

SWA 1.4 bil out of the bank account, SWA would have not purchased AT's assets. It is not worth nearly that much.

So any AT pilot trying to push ANYTHING in the neighborhood of relative seniority as fair is going to rub every, and I mean EVERY SWA pilot raw. You

guys are potentially walking into a very lucrative SWA job that we earned with SWA. We all put in our dues before we got hired by our respective airlines. But from our perspective, and I feel comfortable speaking for SWA pilots as a whole, we earned the position with SWA. And we don't look at it that way with the AT pilots. No matter what you think or feel, this will not change our minds. It is what it is.

So, any AT pilot who tries to justify their seniority on this board, or any other, is just pissing off the SWA pilots. Wherever the seniority falls, and this is far from a done deal, it will not be because of the opinions on this board. But the
opinions on this board are all over the pilot ranks at SWA and there is not
ONE pilot I have spoke to that isn't pissed off at those opinions. Even if it is just a few pilots speaking, it is the only voice being heard. And that is not good for the pilots of AT.

If I were you, I would keep my opinions to myself. You are coming to work for us, and not the other way around.

Peace out.

.

Capt Mac, what you seem to NOT understand is that what SWA WILL become is because of what BOTH of you bring to the table. This isn't a rescue mission by SWAPA. Get over yourself. Airtran will help SWA be bigger and BETTER. Your post is embarrassing. Oh no, SWA pilots will be RAW......big deal. It's a two man cockpit, who cares?

 

[johnsonrod]

I have never been cocky. Mostly what I have done is created legitimate analogies with hypothetical reverse situations, and queried as to whether or not AT guys thought that "relative" was still reasonable with tables reversed. Queries met with silence or BS spin.

You continually ask why SWA guys get so "spooled up" about this issue. Its because we have a vested interest in the outcome. So do they AirTran guys so there concern is also understood.

What is particularly vexing is why you seem to be so interested. You're just irritating that's all. Pretty much everyone feels that way, no matter who they fly for.

Wanna read cocky? Read Capt Mac's total BS.

 

[CaptAntoineMack]

I also find it best to just disengage with this topic on this forum. I hope all SWA pilots do as well. The AT guys have dug themselves a big enough hole.

 

[madjack]

AAI Pilots: Don't confuse cocky with nervous...AAI pilots = EVERYTHING to gain in a SWA Acquisition....SWA Pilots: EVERYTHING to lose...

For every AAI pilot (and you have scores of former AAI pilots on the current SWA FO list), if you were a SWA pilot facing SLI with AAI, how would you feel??

Ty, I would like to ESPECICALLY hear your response...

 

[FDJ2]

AAI Pilots: Don't confuse cocky with nervous...AAI pilots = EVERYTHING to gain in a SWA Acquisition....SWA Pilots: EVERYTHING to lose...

I disagree with the premise that AAI pilots have everything to gain and SWA pilots have everything to lose.

While AAI pilots might get a better contract, they've had more growth in recent years. Their growth will slow down as they are absorbed into a larger SWA.

While SWA pilots will not gain as much as AAI pilots, they will be working for a stronger airline, which should help sustain the SWA contract.

If an eventual award is straight relative seniority, neither side gains or loses, since you'll have the exact same bidding power for essentially the same type of flying you've always enjoyed, and both pilot groups will have more base options and a greater variety of routes to choose from.

IMO, the dominant factor in this SLI will be category/status ratios, where senior pilots stay senior, and junior pilots stay junior.

 

[SWAdude]

I disagree with the premise that AAI pilots have everything to gain and SWA pilots have everything to lose.

While AAI pilots might get a better contract, they've had more growth in recent years. Their growth will slow down as they are absorbed into a larger SWA.

The first officers of SWA will have longer upgrade times. The junior FO's much longer. That can be considered a huge loss to some people.

While SWA pilots will not gain as much as AAI pilots, they will be working for a stronger airline, which should help sustain the SWA contract.

SWA pilots have never been furloughed or taken a pay cut. SWA has never experienced a yearly profit loss. They are very strong without Airtran and will not be any stronger. Maybe more profitable but that is a gamble. No slam dunks in the airline business.

If an eventual award is straight relative seniority, neither side gains or loses, since you'll have the exact same bidding power for essentially the same type of flying you've always enjoyed, and both pilot groups will have more base options and a greater variety of routes to choose from.

From your Airtran seat. Not from my SWA seat. That was the whole point that Mack is trying to convey. But the Airtran pilots think that is an arrogant, selfish thought. And there is nothing that can be said to change the minds of the Airtran pilots on this board. The SWA pilots have a different perspective. And I don't personally know one SWA pilot who chooses their schedules based on routes. Isn't "routes" something from the sixties anyways?

IMO, the dominant factor in this SLI will be category/status ratios, where senior pilots stay senior, and junior pilots stay junior.

If I were the carrier being acquired, I would want to think that to.

Captain Mack is right about the talk around the SWA pilots on the opinions from AT pilots from this forum. When you are not in the room, opinions are not very nice.

I truly do hope this works out well for all of us so we can be one big happy family. So far, not so good.

 

[humveedriver]

SWAdude,

At least your honest. I think relative seniority for AT pilots is a swing at the fence for our pilot group, and a staple would be for yours. Hopefully we can find something in the middle that we can all be pissed about. As far as opinions about AT pilots go, I wouldn't use this board, people tend to take things to the extreme on here. I respect everything your pilot group has done to better itself and your comapny. Prior to 9/27 many of us here at AT were trying to do the same thing for our little company. We just got gobbled up by a bigger fish in the process.